Description
The rare superior French edition of this important chart of which is made up of a number of insets, ‘printed in both a more attractive manner and on better paper than the English edition’ (Forbes).
Inset are of: Cape Chatham, Cape Howe, King George’s Sound, Point Hood, the Snares and Oparo Island.
Vancouver had been given permission to examine ‘that extent of coast of the south-west side of New Holland, which in the present age appears a real blot in geography’. He planned ‘to fall in with the S.W. Cape of New Holland, and should I find the shores capable of being navigated without much hazard to range its coast and determine whether it and Van Diemen’s Land are joined, which from all information at present extant appears somewhat doubtful’. On 26 September he sighted land near Cape Leeuwin and, sailing south-east, named Capes Chatham and Howe. Two days later the ships entered a spacious harbour which he named King George the Third’s Sound. Vancouver also named Oyster Bay and other features, claiming them for Great Britain. He reported on the terrain, animal life and the native inhabitants, and planted watercress, vines, almonds, oranges, lemons and pumpkins ‘for the benefit of future visitors’. On 11 October the ships journeyed east, surveying some 300 miles (483 km) of coast, ‘in which space we saw no other haven or place of security for shipping than the Sound before mentioned’ and, in the westernmost part of the Recherche Archipelago, reached a rocky island which Vancouver called Termination Island.
Adverse winds prevented him from examining the Great Australian Bight, and relinquishing ‘with great reluctance’ this ‘favourite project’, he sailed south of Van Diemen’s Land. The two ships were separated; off the southern tip of New Zealand Vancouver encountered ‘7 craggy islands’ which he named The Snares, and the Chatham discovered and named Chatham Island.
From Vancouver, G., Voyage de decouvertes, a l’ocean Pacifique du Nord, et autour du monde; dans lequel la cote Nord-Ouest de l’Amerique….
References:
Howgego, J. Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800. Sydney 2011 – V13.
Sabin, J. A Dictionary of Books Relating to America, from its Discovery to the Present Time. New York. (1936) 1967 – 98441.
Tooley, R.V. Mapping of Australia. London 1979 -1278
